On Saturday, August 30, ArtwestimageSports.com has been credentialed for photography has been credentialed for sideline photography at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Beginning at 2 PM MST, the Oregon Ducks football team will host the Montana State Bobcats in a matchup of 2025 FBS and FCS title contenders. The Ducks are ranked #7 in the Associated Press Top 25 FBS Preseason Power Polls, while the Bobcats are ranked #2 in the American Football Coaches Association FCS Preseason Poll.
Both squads are coming off heartbreaking season-ending losses in their respective 2024 playoff finales. Oregon, the top-seed in the 2024 national CFB playoffs, was defeated 41-21 in the Rose Bowl on January 1 by eventual national FBS champion Ohio State. The Bobcats lost to North Dakota State by a score of 35-32 in the FCS title game in Frisco, Texas, five days later. Ironically, it was the first and only loss of the 2024-25 season for either team, with the Ducks finishing 13-1 and the Cats going 15-1.
Similarly, next Saturday’s matchup will feature vastly different rosters on both sidelines, which makes it a highly anticipated contest for both fan bases. The Ducks had 30 seniors graduate and/or exhaust playing eligibility at OU, and several players were drafted by the NFL, or departed via the NCAA transfer portal. Montana State had 24 seniors, and at least eight principal starters graduated or use up their playing eligibility. They also lost at least ten roster players to the transfer portal, including their 2024 leading rusher, a top offensive lineman, and the entire starting defensive backfield.
Both the Ducks and Bobcats have new faces at quarterback, with Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the NFL draft, and the Cats’ Tommy Mellott being taken in the fifth round and is currently in the wide receiver group with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Gabriel started for Oregon during their record-breaking, 2024 Big Ten championship season, after playing at Central Florida and Oklahoma. He set an NCAA record for the most starts by a quarterback, 63, and set Oregon records for single-season passing yards and touchdowns. Gabriel's 2024 accolades include being named a FBS First-team All-American, Big Ten Most Valuable Player, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, and Big Ten Quarterback of the Year.. He was also a finalist for the sport's highest individual honor, the Heisman Trophy. Gabriel finished third in the voting, behind Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Boise State’s Ashton Jenty.
In 2024, Mellott received the FCS Walter Payton Award, Walter Camp FCS Player of the Year, the FCS ADA Offensive Player of the Year, as well as the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award. He was also a Unanimous First-Team FCS All-America quarterback and the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Mellott led the Bobcats to wins in 33 starts from 2021-2024, including four consecutive FCS playoff appearances. He led MSU to two National Championship games, and in 2021, was the first MSU freshman quarterback to start a game in the playoffs.
Oregon, as of this writing, is a 27.5-point spread favorite in Saturday’s contest, boasting a top-tier Big Ten Conference offense and defense, and is a favorite to compete for a Big Ten title and to compete for a FBS national championship again.
The Ducks' offense could thrive under a new signal caller will likely be UCLA transfer Dante Moore. In 2023 at UCLA, Moore made five starts and played in nine games, finishing the season with 1,610 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. He struggled with turnovers and lost the starting job during the season, and transferred to Oregon early in 2024. He played sparingly for the Ducks last season, mostly during mop-up time in the final five games of the season.
According to Stein, the 6’3” 206 lb. Moore has excellent arm strength and exceptional accuracy, and he has adapted to Stein’s offensive scheme to maximize his passing/scrambling talent.
The Oregon running game boasts a talented pool led by 5-8, 203 lb. red-shirt senior Noah Whittington and 5-11, 210 lb. Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes. Whittington was the Ducks' second leading rusher in 2024, with 504 yards, on 188 carries, with 6 touchdowns. He also caught 24 passes for 136 yards for a pair of touchdowns. Hughes, a redshirt junior, played in 28 games in two seasons for the Green Wave and totaled 523 carries for 2779 yards and 22 touchdowns.
The offensive line has suffered a succession of transfers and untimely injuries, leaving just one returning starter from 2024. The Ducks, however, have picked up four senior transfers, including Matthew Bedford, who started at Indiana, Emmanuel Pregnon, from Wyoming/USC, Alex Harkey, from Colorado/Texas State, and Isaiah World from the University of Nevada. Collectively, they could grow into a combat-ready unit capable of enabling an explosive Oregon offense in tough Big Ten play.
If that growth takes place, it will likely come with the encouragement of junior Lapani Laloulu, who starts in his second full season as the Ducks center. By the way, these five aforementioned gentlemen average 6’5” and 322 pounds. Picture a B-I-G green wall.
The tight end group might be the best overall offensive unit, with multiple high-caliber players, including 6’3” junior Kenyon Sadiq (24 rec, 308 yds, 2 TDs), sophomores Roger Saleapaga and Jamari Johnson, and freshman Vander Ploog. Their versatile skills will likely enable OC Stein to use a lot of two-tight, unbalanced, and heavy backfield formations, with strategic motion and shifting to help identify pass coverages, offset blitz schemes, and create blocking mismatches.
The Ducks’ wide receiver situation can be best described as a work in progress, with a mix of seasoned veteran transfers and promising first-year players. Freshman Dakorien Moore, Dillon Gresham, and Jeremiah McClellan, along with senior transfer Malik Benson (Florida State, 25 rec, 311 yards, 1 TD), are among the most skilled pass catchers. A possible wildcard is the return of senior Gary Bryant, who didn’t play much in 2024 due to injury. As a plug-and-play receiving group, the early season could be a little rough, with dropped balls and missed route reads. Still, as the season progresses, with the timing and chemistry built with Moore at quarterback, this group could put up video game stats and big plays. Thank god, the Cats get them in Week One.
The kicker, Atticus Sappington, returns after making 14 of 16 field goal attempts in 2024. The punter is Ross James, who averaged 45.5 yards on 37 boots.
Head Coach Dan Lanning’s defensive philosophy attempts to take away top running threats inside, with compacted three-player alignments, and drops its second-level players into pass coverage. This scheme eliminates chunk yardage in the passing game, particularly in long yardage situations. With three linebackers and five defensive backs, it also allows for a variety of run/passing down blitz options that can cause havoc to opposition offenses.
Oregon’s interior defense is bigger than previous years, and with A’Mauri Washington, a 6’3” 330 lb. junior, likely to start after extensive rotational play the last two seasons. Terence Green and Tionne Gray will spell Washington over the Bobcats' “A” gaps.
At the tackle spots, two red-shirt freshmen, Aydin Breland and Xadavien Sims, each around 305 lbs, are the primary contenders after getting some snaps last season and many more during spring games and fall camp. Breland, from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California has is 6’5” and has NFL-caliber athleticism. If either of those two falter, junior Bear Alexander, a former Georgia Bulldog, can fill in nicely.
On the edge, the Ducks will miss former stud end Jordan Burch, who was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, and has left a big void at the strongside end position. Three will vie for that spot: junior Matayo Uiagalelei, sophomore Ashton Porter, and freshman Elijah Rushing, who are all around 6’5”, 280 lbs. They will be able to set the wide side corner and put pressure on the quarterback.
Oregon’s outside linebacker corps isn’t very deep, with only having any college experience. Likely starters are junior Teitum Tuioti at Sam and sophomore Blake Purchase at Will. Both are big and athletic and were in the playing rotation in 2024. The Cats will have to work to contain these two when the Ducks decide to blitz.
At Inside linebacker, senior Bryce Boettcher is a Eugene native, a crowd favorite, and is the leader of the defense. He is not that big, at 6’2” and 230, but he is fast, is a good tackler, and is exceptional at reading offenses. He will have his hands full helping out a young secondary.
The 2025 Oregon defensive backfield is almost entirely new. Junior returners Jahlil Florence, who has been injury-prone, and Sione Laulea, along with freshman Ify Obidegwu, will likely play a lot at cornerback. Senior transfer Theran Johnson, from Northwestern, brings experience and conceivably could start after the first couple of games.
Sophomore nickels, Daylen Austin, and Solomon Davis both return, but will face tough competition from Jadon Canady, a senior transfer from Ole Miss. He has experience at every secondary spot and ultimately could come in as a dime defensive back.
At free safety, sophomore Peyton Woodyard, and junior transfer Dillon Thieneman, who was the leading tackler at Purdue last season, will compete for the job.
The Montana State Bobcats football prospectus for the 2025 season is just as intriguing as the Ducks' situation. The Bobcats enter 2025 ranked at the top of the Big Sky Conference and as a top national contender, despite significant turnover from the 15-1 2024 squad.
However, MSU brings back 21 players who logged 200 or more snaps in 2024. This group will be confident in their ability to compete in the FCS, but are still peeved about not achieving their ultimate goal of a championship last season. As they work through their 2025 schedule, the chip they have on their collective shoulders and a "pressure is a privilege" mindset under coach Brent Vigen will help fuel a deep run in the playoffs again. He is 47-10 after four seasons, and his .825 winning percentage is easily the best by any MSU coach.
New to the Bobcats is offensive coordinator Pete Sterbick. He is the former head coach of NCAA Division II South Dakota School of Mines and led his 2022 team to the national championship game. He is touted for his quarterback development, which was largely based on his success in preparing the Hardrocker’s Harlon Hill Award-winning John Matocha. Matocha passed for 4,778 yards, 52 TDs, and had a 68.8% completion rate in 2022.
Sterbick also coached Hardrockers’ running back Michael Zeman, who rushed for 1,303 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in the same season. Sterbick also had two 1,300+ yard receivers in 2022, which collectively added to one of the most explosive offenses in the country, regardless of level of play.
Under Sterbick’s guidance, his 2022 team led the nation in scoring (44.6 ppg) and red zone offense (97%), and was ranked in the top 10 nationally in total offense, passing offense, fourth down conversion percentage, and turnover margin. His 2023 team maintained that firepower, averaging 46.5 points and 508.7 yards per game.
Sterbick was previously the offensive coordinator at Montana Tech in Butte. In 2017, the Tech Orediggers’ offense averaged 543.8 yards and 43.4 points per game.
Of course, the number one question in every Bobcat fan’s mind is how the team will fare without quarterback Tommy Mellott. The most likely answer is Stanford transfer Justin Lamson, with incumbent backup Chance Wilson making the competition interesting in training camp.
Lamson is a 6’2”, 210 lb. junior who brings significant FBS experience after playing in 23 games at Stanford. We examined his progress through high school and college, and he is a study in determination if nothing else.
A versatile athlete, Lamson was an all-state safety early in his high school career before taking over the reins at quarterback at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, California. With his strong build and respectable speed, he developed good pocket awareness and could deliver passes to all areas of the field.
In 2019, Lamson led Oak Ridge to an 11-3 record and a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I runner-up finish. As quarterback for the Trojans that year, he threw for over 3000 yards and totaled 24 touchdown passes, for which he was also named 2019 NorCal Offensive Player of the Year and Sacramento Bee Player of the Year.
According to his college scouting reports, he could throw well on the run and could effectively scramble to make big plays. Lamson first received a football offer from MSU in the spring of 2020, when Jeff Choate was leading the Bobcat program.
One of the first people to talk to Lamson about Montana State was former Bobcat Kevin Kassis. Kassis graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 2016 and played wide receiver for MSU from 2016-19. During Kassis’ second season in Bozeman, Lamson entered his freshman year at Oak Ridge, and the two developed a relationship, with Kassis later trying to convince Lamson to play quarterback in Bozeman.
At the time, however, the three-star recruit was also fielding at least 12 other scholarship offers. Those included Division I Syracuse, Louisville, New Mexico, Boise State, Wyoming, and San Jose State. Additionally, he got FCS offers from Penn, Dartmouth, Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, and Valparaiso.
Lamson opted to sign with Syracuse and redshirted in 2021 and then suffered a season-ending injury during 2022 spring practice. Without playing a down for the Orange, Lamson transferred to Stanford, where he competed with incumbent Ashton Daniels for the starting quarterback position
As a dual-threat quarterback, Lamson made his first collegiate start against Oregon in 2023, where he had a career high 22 rushing attempts. In the season finale against Notre Dame, Lamson had a season-best 82 yards rushing on ten carries, including a touchdown. His season totals were underwhelming on a 3-9 Pac Ten team, passing for 504 yards and rushing for 334 more, with five touchdowns. In 2024, Lamson played in all 12 games, making one start against Virginia Tech. He led the team with eight rushing touchdowns, but threw for just four, while completing 24 of 47 passing attempts for 300 yards.
Following his 2024 season, Lamson entered the transfer portal again and signed with Bowling Green, but later decommitted after a coaching change there. On March 18 of this year, Lamson signed with Montana State, but did not participate in spring practices, which left the door open for Chance Miller and sophomore Patrick Duchien, from Florence, Montana, to get a lot of meaningful playing time at quarterback.
At the MSU fall camp scrimmage last week, Lamson was 16-18 for 145 yards and two scores, while Wilson was 9 of 15 for 110 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Duchien completed 6 of 8 attempts for 61 yards. In our estimation, those stats would lend to a Lamson start this coming Saturday against the Ducks.
The Bobcat offensive line, despite losing All-American senior guard Marcus Wehr and sophomore tackle Conner Moore, who transferred to Michigan State, the Bobcats return three starters to what was one of the best groups in FCS. Leading the line is right tackle Titan Fleischmann, a junior, and two other previous starters in sophomore center Burke Mastel and senior left guard JT Reed. Right guard Everett Carr and left tackle Cedrick Jefferson, both sophomores, step into starting roles for the first time this season. Reed is the smallest of the group at 6’3,” 290. Think of a B-I-G blue and white wall!
The Bobcat running game will revolve around senior Julius Davis, 5’10” 210 lbs., and sophomore Adam Jones, 6’0” 200 lbs., who together will make up for the loss of 2024 leading rusher Scottre Humphrey, who is now competing for 2024 foe New Mexico. Jones, a Missoula Sentinel grad, earned 2024 Big Sky Freshman of the Year and Honorable Mention All-Big Sky honors. He rushed for 1,172 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, which set Bobcat freshman records. Davis was injured after four games in 2024, but played in 11 games as a sophomore, netting 718 yards on 104 carries and six touchdowns. Junior Jared White and Sophomore Colson Coon are capable backups.
The wide receiver corps is led by 5’9” 170 lb. Taco Dowler, a 2024 All-American return specialist. Dowler led the 2024 Cats with 38 catches for 579 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns. He also earned 2nd team Stats Perform All-American honors as a punt and kick returner. Dowler starred at Billings West High and was the Montana Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2021. He was selected as a 2025 preseason FCS All-American and All-Big Sky as a punt returner and receiver.
Rutger transfer Chris Long is a 6’0” 175 lb. senior and has 32 games of experience at the FBS level. Long’s three-year stint at wide receiver for the Knights netted 28 catches for 391 yards and two scores. Returning Bobcat players from 2024 are Jacob Trimble, who played in 11 games; Ryan King, who had 15 catches for 152 yards in 2024; and Javante King, who logged rotational time last season. Bobcat junior Jordan Reed was moved from quarterback to receiver this year, and at 6’6”, 230 lbs., gives Lamson and Miller a big target in the red zone.
Redshirt junior Myles Sansted returns at placekicker and was an All-Big Sky kicker in 2024. Freshman Colby Frokjer will handle the kickoff duties and will also be the punter.
Leading the Bobcat defense are three key players from the 2024 team, and all are captains in 2025. Seniors Paul Brott, Kenneth Eiden IV, and Neil Daily are all Montana natives and accomplished veterans who figure to be prominent in the success of this year’s defensive unit.
At defensive tackle, Billings West alum Paul Brott is 6’3”, 300 lbs, and was the most accomplished player in the interior line. He played in all 16 games and posted 45 tackles, six TFLs, and 3 sacks in 2024. The other tackle will be either junior Alex Eckert or sophomore Zack Black, who played in 16 and 13 games, respectively, and combined for 38 tackles in 2024. Helena Capital’s Talon Marsh, a sophomore, will be a dependable backup at either tackle.
Senior defensive end Kenneth Eiden IV is a 6’1” 250 lb. former Bozeman Hawk, and had 32 tackles, 9 sacks, and 10.5 tackles for loss, and got a lot of action playing opposite the now graduated All-American end Brody Grebe. Missoula Sentinel product Zac Crews, at 6’4” 240 lbs., played in all 16 games in 2024, and totaled 25 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, and will likely start. The other options at end are junior Hunter Parsons, 6’4” 235 lbs., or sophomore Dom Solano, 6’4” 245 lbs.
Neil Daily, another Billings West captain, is 6’2” 230, and at middle linebacker is likely to call the defense for the Cats in 2025. Daily played in all 15 games last year, logging 51 tackles, 6.5 TFL, and 2 sacks. Junior Ryan Krahe, who played at Great Falls High, will back up Daily. At Will linebacker is 6’2” 235 lb. redshirt freshman Bryce Grebe from Melstone, or sophomore Cole Taylor, a CMR graduate, who started at quarterback for the Rustlers. Grebe had 43 tackles in 2024 and played in 13 games, while Taylor logged 10 stops in 15 games.
The most significant question mark for the Bobcat defense is in the secondary, which lost six 2024 starters, mostly to the transfer portal. The five defensive secondary players now listed as starters on the Bobcat depth chart have logged some collegiate playing time, but only 6’0” 200 lb. junior Caden Dowler has made a start.
Dowler, Taco’s younger brother, also played at Billings West. Dowler made 12 tackles in 6 games in 2024 and will be the strong safety this season. He has big shoes to fill after All-Big Sky Conference player Rylan Ortt played in that spot for the last three seasons. Dowler is a team captain and has been a vocal leader in the secondary this fall.
MSU safety Taki Uluilakepa is a redshirt sophomore and the younger brother of former MSU all-conference linebacker Danny Uluilakepa, who graduated last year. At 6’0” 175 lbs., Taki had 18 tackles in 12 games in 2024.
MSU’s starting nickel will likely be redshirt sophomore 6’0” 185 lb. Tayden Gray, who totaled 19 tackles, including a sack, in 13 games last season. According to other players, he is one of the fastest players on the defense. Backup at safety is Helena High grad Colter Petre, a sophomore, as is Bryant Meredith, who is the backup Uluilakepa at free safety. Missoula Sentinel’s JJ Dolan will also play at nickel.
The Cats' cornerback positions are largely between players with limited college playing time. Takhari Carr, from Compton, California, heads the group and played in ten games for the Cats last season and had seven tackles and four pass breakups. At the other corner is a redshirt freshman, Jhase McMillan, from Fulshear, Texas, who is an accomplished track and field athlete, running the 200-meter race in 20.69. The 5’9” 160 lb. McMillan played sparingly in 2024 but had 11 tackles for the Cats. Redshirt freshmen corners Seth Johnson and Carson Williams will be in the playing rotation at some point.
If you read between the lines of comparisons between the two teams we’ll be photographing this Saturday, the pedigrees of the programs would lend to an interesting game. Both teams have strikingly similar personnel makeups, although the Ducks are stuffed with three, four, and five-star athletes, while the Cats are largely made up of ones and twos.
As a Big Ten school, Oregon’s Autzen Stadium has a seating capacity of 60,000, approximately 40,000 more than a big crowd at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. According to our sources, the game is sold out, which means, at least in the first half, Autzen may live up to its billing as one of the noisiest in college football. Recordings have reflected that crowds at Autzen can generate over 130 decibels, which is comparable to a jet taking off, a thunderclap, or a chainsaw.
We’re sure that the Bobcats are working on their huddle play calling and snap count communication, as the usual methods will undoubtedly not be effective. Our solution: earplugs!
Enjoy this gallery of our Photographer’s Favorite captures from the Bobcats' 2024 football season and playoff run, in order by date of the game. As alumni of MSU, our ArtwestimageSports.com team is honored to be able to do sideline/courtside photography at Bobcat events. We’re particularly excited to be working at a big-time event this weekend, and hope you LIKE, FOLLOW, and SHARE this post with football fans across Montana! Check back with us next week for highlights from Eugene!